Cloth-cutting machine.



F. J. CLARK. i

CLOTH CUTLNG MACl-fiNE. 7

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1915,

1,1 97,793 i Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN MACHINE COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

Application filed January 27, 1915.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in portable cloth cutting machines of that type which comprises a carriage adapted to rest upon and be moved about on a cutting table or supporting surface, and a vertically-reciprocating knife which is driven by a motor on the carriage. As ordinarily constructed, these machines have a flat base adapted to move on the supporting surface beneath the pile of cloth to be cut, and a slender upright standard which rises from said base and supports the knife and its driving motor and connections, and the machines are usually provided in front of the knife and standard with an upright presser or guard bar having at its lower end a presser foot for preventing the knife from lifting the cloth. The presser foot is either pressed down by a spring which permits it to yield vertically, or it is adjustably mounted so that it can be set at the desired elevation; In order to enable the knife to be readily sharpened, adjusted or placed in and removed from the machine, it is desirable for the presser or guard device to be arwith a presser or guard attachment of a novel construction which adapts the guard or presser to be readily removed from its operative position in frontof the knife and replaced and secured in position without disturbing its adjustment, so as to facilitate the sharpening, removal or adjustment of the knife.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a partly broken side elevation of a cloth cutting machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the bracket or portion of the frame to which the presser or guard device is attached. Fig. 4 isa vertical sectional elevation in line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the removable presser or guard attachment. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of that portion Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 4,646.

of the frame on which the attachment is secured.

The cloth cutting machine shown in the drawings comprises a fiat base A which is adapted to rest on and be moved about on a cutting table or supporting surface beneath the pile of cloth to be cut, an upright, slender standard B which rises from said base, a suitable frame C supported by said standard, an electric motor D mounted on said frame, and a vertical knife E which is arranged to reciprocate in a vertical guide slot in the front edge of the standard and 1s operatively connected to the armature shaft of the motor. The knife E is detachably secured at its upper end to a reciprocating head F which is arranged to slide vertically in guide-ways in upright guide plates 9 g arranged, respectively, in front and in rear of the knife head, and is connected by a pitman g to a crank on the motor shaft. The knife is preferably clamped in a seat in the knife head F by the usual bolts 9 extending through the slotted upper end of the knife. The lower end of the knife is adapted to enter the usual knife slot (not shown) in the base of the machine. All of these parts are usual in cloth cutting machines of this type and, except as hereinafter described, may be of any suitable construction.

Preferably, the frame C is provided with a vertical plate or bracketpo-rtion G which projects forwardly at one side of the standard B and constitutes a support on which the guides g g for the reciprocating knife head are adjustably secured, andthe removable attachment or support carrying the presser or guard device is also secured to this bracket.

H represents a presser bar or guard which, as usual, is arranged in upright position in front of the knife and is provided at its lower end with a presser foot h for cloth being cut, having a bifurcated rear end adapted to straddle the front edge of the standard 13 and the exposed edge of the knife E. The presser bar or guard is carried by and is adapted to slide or be adjusted vertically on a blockor support I which is detachably secured to the front end of the bracket or frame part G so that the support can be detached from the bracket G and removed with the presser device or guard in place thereon. As shown, the presser support I is recessed at one side, leaving upper and lower lugs or portions z" 2' which are provided with vertical guide holes through which the presser bar extends and in which it is adapted to slide vertically. An adjustable collar or block 2' is releasably secured by a screw i or otherwise, on the presser bar between the guide lugs i and a spring 2' surrounding the presser bar between the collar i and the upper lug acts to yieldingly press the presser downwardly. By loosening the collar 2' the presser bar can be slid up or down through the collar to adjust the presser foot to the desired height, when by again securing the collar on the bar the spring 2' will hold the presser foot yieldingly down at the point at which it is set and permit it to yield upwardly. A screw clamp or securing device 2' of any suitable sort is provided on the presser support I and engages the presser bar H for rigidly securing the presser foot in any desired adjustment. When a yielding pressure of the foot is desired the screw clamp 2' is loosened so as not to interfere with the movement of the presser bar, and the collar 2' is secured to the bar. When it is desired to hold the presser foot rigid, the collar is loosened, and the presser bar adjusted to the desired position and rigidly secured in this position by tightening the screw clamp 2'.

For detachablv securing the presser support in place on the machine, a catch or plate K is pivoted on the front of the support and is adapted to be swung into engagement with a headed stud is projecting forwardly from the bracket G for clamping the support against the front end of the bracket. The latch is preferably made of .spring metal and bears at its ends respectively against a washer Z0 and a flat face on the front of the support, while its intermediate portion is spaced from the support and is adapted to be sprung inwardly by engagement with the head of the stud 70, this head or the notch 70 in the latch which receives the stud being beveled, see Figs. 4: and 5, to cause such springing of the latch. The latch therefore acts to press the support rearwardly firmly against the end of the bracket G. The head of the stud 70 is preferably formed by nuts 70 screwed on the stud as this permits the necessary adjustment of the head to insure the desired spring action of the latch. Preferably the bracket G is provided with upper and lower vertical beveled edged or V-shaped tongues or portions Z adapted to seat in correspondingly shaped alined vertical grooves or seats Z in rear of the support. These tongues are drawn or wedged firmly into the seats Z by the spring latch and act to position the support accurately in the intended vertical position and to insure a firm rigid connection of the support to the bracket G.

The bracket is also preferably provided be tween the tongues Z with a lug or part Z which projects forwardly into a recess or notch Z in the adjacent side of the support. When placing the support in position, this lug serves to register the tongues Z with their grooves Z and to hold the support I in place until it is secured by the latch K. By reason of this construction the support I can be easily and quickly placed in posifront of the knife and to be as readily replaced, and the removal or replacing of the support does not disturb the adjustment of i the presser device or guard. When the guard is removed the knife is unobstructed and can be readily sharpened, and the knife can be easily removed by loosening the bolts securing it to the knife head and lowering the knife out of engagement with the knife head.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support on which said member is adjustably mounted, said support with said mem her in adjusted position thereon being detachable as a unit from the frame, said frame and support having separable parts which cooperate to determine the position of the support on the frame and hold the support from vertical and lateral displacement,

and a latch which cooperates with said parts to rigidly secure the support in position but is releasable to permit the removal of the support.

2. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an up right member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried and which together with said member there on is removable as a unit from the frame, and a latch carried by said support and cooperating with a part on the frame for detachably securing said support on said frame.

3. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried, said frame having a forwardly projecting bracket, and a latch for detachably securing said support against the front end of said bracket, said latch having a spring action by which said support is pressed firmly against said bracket.

4:. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried, said frame having forwardly projecting tongues and said support having seats to receive said tongues, and a releasable securing device for detachably securing said support on said frame.

5. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried, said frame having forwardly projecting bevel-edged tongues and said support having bevel-faced seats to receive said tongues, and a releasable securing device for detachably securing said support on said frame.

6. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried, said frame having forwardly projecting bevel-edged tongues and said support having bevel-faced seats to receive said tongues, and a device for detachably securing said support on said frame which device has a spring action whereby said tongues are firmly seated in said seats.

7. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife, a support by which said member is carried, said frame and support having cooperating parts which aline said support vertically, and said frame having a headed stud, and a resilient latch which is pivoted on said support and is adapted to engage said stud for securing said support and pressing the same firmly against the frame.

8. The combination with a frame and a driven knife supported thereon, of an upright member arranged in front of the knife,

a support by which said member is carried,

said frame and support having cooperating parts which aline said support vertically, and cooperating parts which hold said support from vertical movement, and a, releasable latch for securing said cooperating parts in connection. I

W'itness my hand, this 25th day of January, 1915.

FREDERICK J. CLARK.

Witnesses:

C. WV. PARKER, C. B. 'HORNBECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

